Dragon Riders II: Revenge of the Riders (started, accepting)

Me too Dreamy! xD

**Well here goes xD I'm so excited for it! Suck-y first post, but I'll do better. I wasn't sure how to start. xD**

Brystianne and Nukpano

Bree felt her tender stomach. Manarian had saved her life quite a while ago but, inside, she still felt damaged. In fact, she still had a jagged shiny wound on her otherwise unmarked stomach. Yet another reminder of what the evil dragon riders had done to her. Of what Eighth had done to her.

As much as she hated to admit it, the girl had left her mark on Bree. Both physically and emotionally. She had nearly died. And one doesn't come back from that to easily.

"Nuk, what are you doing?" she asked her dragon.

There's a storm brewing. I'm just admiring it's development, her dragon whispered in her mind softly.

Brystianne grinned. "Great. What do you say to a ride then?"

"I'd say that sounds fun," Nuk replied, not bothering to use their mental connection again. He had tried to get Bree to use it but she refused. Only on special occasions did she let his mind enter her own so she could send him a message. She told Nuk that she just wasn't sure if the connection between them was a good thing.

It wasn't exactly a lie. Brystianne didn't want her dragon to see how messed up she really was. At times, she didn't even know who she was anymore. An almost death was far more nerve wracking then one might expect. She was alive but...did she really want to live with all her thoughts now that Manarian and Nuk had saved her?

Bree grinned. "Good then. Because I feel like taking a few risks."

Nuk looked at her reproachfully. "Brystianne," he sighed - well, if a dragon could sigh, that's what it would be called. "I think that you've been playing the daredevil card too much. Remember what happened last time we had a storm and you wanted to ride?"

Bree shrugged. She had jumped off Nuk's back and into the freezing water of a nearby lake. She had nearly drowned. But Nuk had gotten her out of the water and Manarian scolded her for at least three hours.

"Whatever Nuk. I don't need your concern," she said, angrily, eyes flaring. "I can take care of myself y'know."

Nuk looked almost happy at her sudden, fiery character change. Bree groaned.

"Would you and Manarian both stop with that!" she yelled. "You think I don't know, but I do. I'm never going to be the same old Bree, okay? I don't want to. I was stupid and naive. I'm not happy I almost died, but it made me stronger and wiser. And Eighth will regret that when we meet again."

Bree, please, Nuk started, concern and pity filling her mind. It disgusted Bree, but most of all it filled her with grief that she was hurting her dragon. Her closest friend. Sometimes, and if she was being honest with herself, nearly always, she wished she hadn't changed. But there was no going back now. Not from an almost death.

Stay away! she hissed at him. You don't understand anything. I love you Nuk, but you're just a dragon. Neither you or Manarian can understand me, alright. So leave me be.

She shoved him from her mind with a mental push. She could almost feel him stagger backward. But most of all, before she could retreat both mentally and physically, she felt his hurt. His hurt, his concern, his need to help and protect. All for her. For a very selfish rider who was being very mean to her dragon. She ran harder, trying to outrun her thoughts as well as getting away from Nuk.

But this was her now. There was no strong and courageous Brystianne. No. There was only the weak, spineless, selfish but now wiser Bree. This was her now. This was the new Bree.

Alice:

Can you revenge revenge? I wondered that as I proded the scar on my stomach. The man was getting revenge on me for killing his family by trying to kill me. When he hurt me I killed him. Does that count as revenge? With a sigh I let my shirt fall and I strode out of my room.

Once I entered the kitchen I grabbed some bread and skipped away, chewing happily. My new haircut bounced around my head. Climbing out of a window I jumped and landed on Ash.

I might not always be there when you jump Alice. she thought towards me.

With a shrug I said "If you weren't there I wouldn't jump.

Manarian

Crack. Crack. Crack. The rough staff twirled in Manarian’s hands and hit its targets, three very unlucky saplings. Manarian had taken to using the long branch as a weapon after his sword and bow were taken by the Shadow Riders. To be honest, he actually preferred the staff to finding another weapon.

The staff made a shrill swooshing noise as it cut through the air and whacked another tree trunk. A solid thud reverberated through the unpolished wood up through Manarian’s arms. He grunted in satisfaction, and stopped in his practice.

Returning the staff to its upright position in his hands, Manarian made his way back to the small camp. The Dragon Nukpano was curled up by the edge of the clearing, looking thoroughly unhappy.

“Bree again?” Manarian asked, going over and sitting by the empty fire pit.

“Yes,” sighed the Dragon. “Apparently, we don’t ‘understand’ her.” Manarian very nearly rolled his eyes.

“Is that what she’s thinking? Hmm…”

“But I did get a rise out of her,” Nuk said, on a lighter note. The dragon so wanted the old Bree back – just to have a decent argument, maybe even a full out row. In truth, Manarian felt the same, but he wouldn’t be telling anyone that.

“I suppose that’s all we can hope for, at present,” Manarian mumbled, fingering the knotted end of his staff.

Fitz and Isold perched at the top of the ridge, looking down into the area. There were three dragons here, with three riders. Only two were visible to his eye, for there were only two in the great outdoors. They seemed to know each other, for they were coversing quite freely from what he could tell.

What do you say, Isold? he asked her through telepathy. Should we join them?

Isold grunted, tossing her head. He cried out as he slipped off her back, dislodged by her sudden movement. He tumbled face first onto the ground, but it never hurt. The only time she had ever really wounded him was their first meeting; she was feral, tamed only due to the fact he saved her life. But she had still had enough fight and strength in her to rip his shoulder open...

He growled as he got up, grabbing her muzzle in his hand. "Listen here, you ungrate whelp - "

"Hey, who goes there?" one of the people shouted up at him.

He sighed, letting go of Isold's snout. She huffed disapprovingly in his face. I'll deal with you later, he warned her as he turned toward the pair below them. "The name's Fitz; this is my dragon Isold. Mind if a third pair joins your party?"

**I am going to assume that all of the Riders are in the same camp.

Ryl/Bane

Ryl wound through a thicket, tearing after the rabbit. Briars tore at Ryl's clothes, but she grinned and moved quicker. The rabbit dashed into an open field, hopping frantically for its burrow. A scream tore its way from Ryl's throat as she launched herself into the air and crushed the rabbit beneath her when Ryl landed.

After Ryl quickly sliced at the rabbit with her dagger, it stopped struggling. Ryl grinned and jumped up. She squinted into the sun as a choppy wind began to beat the tall grass to the ground. Ryl's grin widened as Bane's bulky form blocked the sunlight.

Man invented bows and arrows for a reason, impling.

Ryl snatched up her rabbit by the ears and swung herself onto the dragon's back. "Where's the fun in that?" she retorted. "Men are lazy."

Bane growled at her as he took to the sky once more. Ryl laughed and let out a whooping yell. She could feel Bane's scales rippling with pleasure beneath her. Ryl patted the dragon's neck. "Let's go back to camp, now. I'm hungry, and it's going to storm soon."

You are always hungry.

Ryl laughed again. Bane twisted his neck around to give Ryl an irritable glare. Ryl bared her teeth at him and snatched onto his horns. Bane snorted and swung his head around to knock Ryl off. Ryl soared away from her dragon. She whooped again, spreading her arms out to slow the free fall. "Bane!" she screamed. The dragon held out his tail to Ryl. Ryl grabbed hold of the tail and clambered back into Bane's back. Bane glanced back at his Rider, his expression unreadable. The dragon landed smoothly in the clearing. Ryl slid off, rabbit in tow.

Ryl patted Bane before moving into the camp toward the fire pit. She spotted Manarian talking to Bree's dragon, Nuk. Manarian frowned as Nuk spoke to him. He muttered an unhappy reply. Grinning, Ryl ran up to them.

"Hey, Manarian!" she cried. "Are you up for rabbit stew tonight?"

Manarian looked up at her, still frowning. Ryl's smile faltered a little.

Ryl, came Bane's voice in Ryl's head. Strangers. On the ridge.

Ryl squinted as she looked up. Manarian's gaze followed hers to see a human and dragon staring back down at them. Manarian's face darkened. "Hey, who goes there?" he shouted suspiciously up at them. The human sighed.

"The name's Fitz; this is my dragon Isold. Mind if a third pair joins your party?"

"That depends," Ryl replied. "Do you like stew?"

Fitz grinned. A girl with spunk; he liked that.

Isold snorted again. What is it with you and your race? Always so obnoxiously loud with domination tendencies... But I like that girl, the one with the little rodent. She's like me - spicy, independent --

"Sounds good to me!" He cut Isold off, beginning to stride down into the campsite.

Isold growled, butting him in the back with her nose. He yelped, swearing as he slid down the hill, again face first. He rolled to a stop at Ryl's feet. He grumbled, his entire body tense in agitation as he rose to his feet for the second time in five minutes. Isold just stared at him, a serves-you-right gleam in her young, amber eyes.

"Damn it all..." he muttered. "I'll never get used to her...her and her stubborn, prideful..." He growled, shaking his head as he finally responded to the red. "Fine, you got my attention!"

The dragon huffed, nodding her head quickly before finishing her descent. She stood off to the side of the camp, well away from the other dragons. Fitz turned back to Ryl; he could tell she was trying not to laugh, as were the others. Oh, well, he was already embarrassed; why not tell the whole truth? "Sorry about that... We haven't quite figured out the whole dragon-and-rider thing."

Ryl

"Haven't figured it out yet?" asked Ryl. "What's to figure? A Rider rides his dragon."

The boy - Fitz - frowned. "Well, we've only just found each other as a pair. Or, more accurately, I found her."

Ryl narrowed her eyes at Fitz. "You are going to tell me more about this over stew. Here - " Ryl tossed the rabbit over to Fritz. "Clean this. I'll get the water."

Ryl snatched up a pot and began to walk over to the stream in the corner of the camp. Bane met her midway, and they walked together. The stream was trickling away not far from where Fritz's dragon was standing. Bane glared at the dragon as Ryl filled her pot. The dragon largely ignored Bane, instead choosing to watch Ryl closely.

Bane growled and pushed Ryl away from the dragon and toward the camp. Ryl shot some fire into the the pit to get the fire started and placed the pot on a heavy log. She looked over and saw that Fritz hadn't even started on the rabbit.

"Come on, Fritz!" she called. "I'd like to eat before dawn!"

Manarian

Manarian sighed and rose to his feet.

“It looks like you have things under control, Ryl,” he said. “I’d better go find Bree – God knows what she’s been up to.” Ryl rolled her eyes.

“She’ll come back when she’s hungry. Don’t worry so much.” Manarian frowned at the other rider.

“You haven’t heard about her latest suicide attempt,” he muttered before entering the forest. Nuk wordlessly got up and followed him.

“Any ideas?” Manarian asked the dragon after a few minutes. Nukpano paused before heading off in a slightly different direction. Hefting his staff, Manarian followed.

***By the way, it's Fitz, not Fritz.***


Fitz sighed, sitting down and taking out his knife. This girl had stunned him, as commanding as she had proved to be. He held a front, acting like he was a little frightened of her, but he smiled inside. The more time he spent with her, the more he began to like her. Fierce, someone he might actually compete with!

He skinned the rabbit, making quick work of the hide. He just had to rinse off lose hairs before he gutted it. Isold watched him, curious, as he finished his work and began to cut the meat away from the bone, into squares. Ryl smiled when she saw that he was already almost finished. The water was just beginning to cloud with bubbles.

"Sorry," he smirked. "Your...commanding air threw me off a little."

Ryl rolled her eyes, taking a handful of the meat chunks and dropping them into the water. "So, you gonna tell me your story or not?"

He shrugged. "There's not much to tell. I was out riding my horse one afternoon, and he slipped; I ended up getting thrown down this hill, into a cave. That's where I found her" - he looked at Isold. He sighed, gaze falling as he remembered the sight of her, curled up in the back of the cavern, practically covered in blood. "She'd been attacked by hunters and left for dead. I didn't think anything of it, I just started trying to save her. We had a few tussles at first, her being so mistrusting and me being naive to dragonkind. But next thing I knew, we both recovered and she was now following me around."

He looked back at Ryl, handing her a few more chunks. "We figured out how to ride and thought-speak, but it's the teamwork where there's a problem. She still doesn't trust people, sometimes me included, and I guess I'm just not used to having a dragon in my life."

Hey guys. I'm going on vacation sunday and won't be back for a week. Can someone keep my character Alice involved. And just so you know, she's on the bad side.

Woot! First bad guy post!
Eighth-

"Your majesty." Greeted the man, bowing low. I sharpened one of my daggers on the edge of my crown. Who in their right mind would wear one of these on their head?
"What? If you're here to beg for food, you're not getting any. You peasants should farm if you all are so damn hungry." I snapped. I had told the guards not to let any more common folk into my presence, unless they wanted them tortured or killed.
"But that's just it, your majesty. Your Shadow Riders... they burn our fields before anything can grow. My family-"
I threw the dagger at his chest, laughing as it killed him with a satisfying 'thwump'.

"You. Guard." I called to one of the sentries by the door. "Take his body back to his village. Let them know that any more complaints will be dealt with in the same manner. And look sharp about it. There'll be a coin in it for you if you're back on the hour." I said. He nodded, and hustled off with the dagger. How did rulers deal with the constant work? I wanted to be out plundering, not listening to peasants groan about how they had no food. There was never enough, not if my Shadows were to get their fill.

I placed my crown on the throne and left, gesturing to a servant to clean the pool of blood on the marble floor.

I walked out to the courtyard, where my Shadows and their dragons were training. The screams were loud, probably because I had given up on using dummies. We trained on real folk.

I wasn't in the mood to fight, so I went to the dragon stables,where Phobos would undoubtedly be. He didn't care much for training. He was double the size of every enemy he had ever faced, so practice wasn't really necessary.

I sat with him for a while, listening to the pleasant sound of screams. It was nice to take a break.

**Ah, shoot! Sorry about that. Typos are no fun.

Ryl

Ryl listened intently to Fitz's tale. The stew was beginning to cook and steam, sending its aromas all over camp.

"Well, I was raised by my father, in the deep woods. There was a nesting dragon pair close to our home. When the eggs hatched, I ran to sneak a look. Bane and I fell together quickly, and Father sent me to the Academy with Bane to train. He hoped we could bring back some new skills. Of course, we are a bit preoccupied now, with the Shadow riders and all."

Ryl turned her gaze to the stew and stirred it violently. Fitz approached the flames next to her and dropped the last few pieces of rabbit meat in the pot. Ryl glanced at Fitz sideways before looking back toward his dragon.

"What's her name?" Ryl asked. Fitz raised his eyebrows.

"Isold," he replied. "And from your story, I can assume your dragon's name is Bane." Ryl narrowed her eyes at Fitz.

"Does that matter?"

Fitz blinked. "No, not really. But if it didn't matter, why did you ask for Isold's name?" Ryl opened her mouth to reply, when Bane let out a low growl. Ryl looked at him.

He's too inquisitive. Be careful, impling.

I don't think he means anything by it, replied Ryl.

That doesn't matter. I don't like the look of him, and I am not fond of that dragon, either.

Shush, said Ryl. She turned away from Bane pointedly, and smiled at Fitz. "That stew is nearly ready," she said to Fitz. "Serve yourself whenever you want."

Bree and Nuk

The only bad thing about cutting off her mental connection from Nuk, was that she could no longer get a warning for when he was coming to find her. However with him being a dragon, even if he was a small -even for a storm dragon, he couldn't sneak up on her too much.

She heard him stopping trees about 200 yards away. Bree kept her back to him, still sitting on the cliff that hung over the ocean. She let her feet hang over the edge and loved the churning of her stomach every time she looked over the edge. She wondered what it would be like to just jump. The cliff wasn't that high over the ocean, so it wouldn't kill her, but it would probably hurt. Even if she just dived in feet first.

But it would be worth it for that thrill. Manarian and Nuk didn't understand why she had been taking so many dangerous risks lately. It was because, in those few so very short seconds where adrenalin took over her body and mind, she felt as if Eighth's dagger had never plunged into her flesh and soul.

As her dragon grew closer she smiled lightly to herself. She missed him, even when they were only apart for a few minutes. Bree had even felt a sort of clingy-ness to her dragon that she was certain was unhealthy. Still, it seemed Nuk felt that way too. After what had happened to Manarian and their own separation...not knowing if the other was okay...saying words that only the other's soul could understand, as if saying goodbye forever...well, that could only explain their reasons to keep the others close.

"I should have known you'd be here Bree," a voice, a human voice rang out behind her.

Bree almost fell and Nukpano flinched, ready to come save her if she dropped. When she regained her balance, Nuk turned to glare at Manarian.

"You should have waited for her to turn around, Manarian," Nuk said, angrily, though relief his most dominant emotion.

Brystianne's heart clenched. Oh how much the dragon was like his rider. Or how his rider used to be. It made Bree jealous and so remorseful. She wanted to snap at herself for the thoughts and emotions that ran through her. She should be glad at her change of heart. She didn't want to jump at everything, letting her fiery personality run her life and make her irrational.

Bree didn't even respond to them, but turned back to the ocean, where the sun was setting and making the normally blue-green water mix with blood red and orange. She didn't find the sight appealing, as most did. It disgusted her.

"Is it time to eat?" Bree asked, getting up and stretching. She looked back at the water below her, wistfully. Again, she thought of just jumping in. Nuk seemed to have read her mind.

"You don't stop do you?" he asked, blowing hot air out of his huge nostrils. "Don't you realize how much I worry about you? One day I'm not going to be there to save you from your next crazy and dangerous stunt."

Especially if you keep shutting your mind from mind. It keeps getting harder to send you messages, much less find you. Manarian and I searched for at least 15 minutes for you. I had to concentrate hard AND use your scent.

"Oh, calm down before you start shooting off sparks," Bree growled, wiping dirt off her pants. "What're eating, Manarian?"

He shrugged. "I think rabbit stew or something of that nature."

Brystianne sighed. "When are you going to stop hiding. Everyday Eighth grows stronger. Sitting here only makes me restless. And scared," she admitted.

Manarian's eyebrows snapped together. Nuk's large head raised up, sharply. They were both in shock. Even this new, cold and selfish Bree didn't admit to being afraid.

"I want to end things with her. And I keep having nightmares about...well, when I almost died. I keep seeing her face. I haven't slept well in...I can't even remember the last time I slept through the night," she admitted.

Manarian nodded, a haunted look coming into his eyes. Bree looked away, unable to watch him suffer like that. She'd bet anything that he hadn't been sleeping well either. Losing a dragon was much more distrubing that losing your own life. That's why cowardly little Bree had sacrificed her own life rather than letting Eighth kill Nuk. Thanks to Manarian, she hadn't died.

If anyone understood her pain and fear of dreams - or rather, nightmares- it was Manarian. Bree's heart hurt for his loss. If was only a wonder that he was still alive. She admired him for that. He was everything that she wished she could be. Even when she was her old self.

"C'mon," she said, grabbing his hand and pulling him toward Nuk. "Let's go find something to eat other than rabbit stew. You know you love stealing from Eighth's little town. We can steal some food for us and the others. Even scout and capture one of her 'minions.' I'll even let you pick what to eat. Just because you're my bestest friend" Bree joked, trying to get his mind off of things that it shouldn't be on.

Then again...why should he ignore what happened. Manarian gave a half-smile, narrowing his eyes at her.

"Just for me, right?" he rolled his eyes. "Alright. Let's go."

I know you Bree. I know you're heart, Nuk's voice rang loud and clear in her mind. Either she had let her barrier down or he was getting stronger. And I know you could care less about scouting some of Eighth's soldiers right now. As bad as it sounds, sometimes I forget what a good person you are. It's times like these that set me straight. Manarian's not ready to face Respreia's *Sorry Kelcia, if it's spelled wrong *death yet, I sense. And you sense it to. You're doing this for him, you sneaky girl.

Brystianne's smile lit up her entire face at Nuk's praise and approval. She only hoped she really was doing this for him and not for revenge's sake. After all...they had taken away her life when they attacked. And she couldn't deny that she'd like nothing more than to interrogate a few evil riders.

**What do you say to a little drama, Kelcia. It's a little early but...who likes a SB that moves too slow. xD**

Hope it's not too late to jump in. I'll stick with Zara and her dragon. I believe she's going to play an important part or something? I'll post something later.

Human:
Name: Zara.
Age: 17.
Gender: Female.
Appearance: Red hair and light blue/silver eyes.
Picture:

Spoiler

Personality: Kind but harsh and rather blunt. Don't make her mad. Zara is now feeling very guilty and often hides from the other Shadows.
History: Not much is known about Zara. She was found as a baby on the doorstep of a local merchant's home and grew up in that house. Found her dragon when she was around five and neither have left the others side since, except for when Zara is inside where Roshan can't fit... Since becoming Eigth's minion, Zara has killed people and dragons, and has become a shell of her former self, rarely showing the kinder side of her personality.
Dragon Type: Fire. Zara can touch flames without being burned and produce small amounts of flame from hands. The usual fire wielding stuff...
Connection with Dragon: Amazing.
Likes/Dislikes: Likes Dragons, fire and weapons. Dislikes water, other people, nasty monsters, killing and her new mistress, Eigth.
Flaws/Good Points: Flaws-doesn't think before leaping even though she's quite smart. Good Points-she's swift and deadly with a dagger, though she can't use a sword--yet.
Habits: Bits her lip or can't stay still when frustrated, angry or upset.
Other: Has a dagger she calls Kohar. Up for love.

Dragon:
Name: Roshan.
Age: Young.
Gender: Female.
Element: Fire.
Appearance: Dark red, sleek with spines and silver-blue eyes.
Picture:

Spoiler

Personality: Harsh, blunt and a lot calmer than Zara, Roshan is often the voice of reason. Roshan is level-headed and often does the thinking that Zara lacks when rushing into danger. Dislikes the new Zara and what she has done and has yet to do.
Other: Has a scar vertically slashed over her left eye. The eye isn't damaged but it makes Roshan distinct. Up for love, if the dragons can love...